friendlyhumanist.blogspot.com
Friendly Humanist: January 2010
http://friendlyhumanist.blogspot.com/2010_01_01_archive.html
Sunday, 10 January 2010. I am moving this blog to " http:/ www.friendlyhumanist.net. This is partly to improve the blog (WordPress has better features), and partly to appease my own ego (I wanted my own domain name). The new blog has already been populated with all the old posts and comments. I even think I can set things up so this old address will automatically redirect to the new one. On a content level, is there anything you'd like to hear more about? Tuesday, 5 January 2010. Ken and colleagues are c...
friendlyhumanist.blogspot.com
Friendly Humanist: Why should humanists be in chaplaincy?
http://friendlyhumanist.blogspot.com/2009/12/why-should-humanists-be-in-chaplaincy.html
Friday, 18 December 2009. Why should humanists be in chaplaincy? The quarterly magazine of the Humanist Society of Scotland. Has a new issue out. Once again, Mike and I present our rather different perspectives - this time, on the relationship between humanists and chaplaincy. Don't forget to read. Mike's column over at his blog. The answer is obvious to me. Clearly, though, some religious people and even many humanists don't see things as I do. So here is my take on it. HSS), which has an Edinburgh group.
friendlyhumanist.blogspot.com
Friendly Humanist: July 2009
http://friendlyhumanist.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html
Friday, 31 July 2009. Don't speak. Just watch it. What do you think? Wednesday, 29 July 2009. When ridicule is all an idea deserves. Check out this awesome video of an Irish comedian, on alternative medicine and affiliated topics (thanks to Mike, The Not Quite So Friendly Humanist. For pointing it out):. Tuesday, 28 July 2009. Does God Believe in Atheists? So, when a friend offered to lend me the book Does God Believe in Atheists? By Christian apologist John Blanchard. Well, not every. A quick web search...
friendlyhumanist.blogspot.com
Friendly Humanist: The choice is yours
http://friendlyhumanist.blogspot.com/2009/03/choice-is-yours.html
Friday, 27 March 2009. The choice is yours. Here is my latest article in. And I squared off on the topic of free will - be sure to read his column as well. What is free will, and how does it fit into a naturalistic worldview? Philosophical materialism (common among humanists) is sometimes attacked on the grounds that it precludes the possibility of free will. Here’s how:. That's interesting. Fascinating, in fact. But for the question of free will, so what? Free will, as it bears on your actual life, is a...
friendlyhumanist.blogspot.com
Friendly Humanist: What is morality?
http://friendlyhumanist.blogspot.com/2009/04/what-is-morality.html
Tuesday, 14 April 2009. I am not a philosopher, but I think this is a fascinating question to explore. I'd like to point you all to a post. By Christian blogger Ken Brown, in which he explores the implications of an interventionist god who does not prevent all evils. We had such a vigorous discussion in the comments that he made a second post. To further explore the difference between theistic and atheistic approaches to morality and the problems of evil. How do you understand morality? Note: only a memb...
friendlyhumanist.blogspot.com
Friendly Humanist: Me and U
http://friendlyhumanist.blogspot.com/2009/06/me-and-u.html
Sunday, 21 June 2009. Three interesting things happened to me today. The summer solstice happened early this morning. At this northern latitude, that's a big deal. I'm actually looking forward to a bit more night. (I think the early dawn and late sunset may be why Kaia seems to sleep so little. I ask the more experienced parents out there not to disillusion me.). Deena and I officially became members of the Edinburgh Unitarian Church. They might all be Unitarians."). I still consider myself a part of the...
friendlyhumanist.blogspot.com
Friendly Humanist: In the company of woo
http://friendlyhumanist.blogspot.com/2009/12/in-company-of-woo.html
Tuesday, 29 December 2009. In the company of woo. I find myself in the company of woo. And as a skeptic it is bringing me some grief. It's all about homebirth - planning to deliver a baby at home, attended by a midwife, rather than in a hospital. Deena and I came to homebirth through an examination of the evidence. ( Here's a discussion. At Edinburgh's Pregnancy and Parents Centre. A recent post on homebirth. At Science-Based Medicine has stirred up an epic-length discussion, with passionate defenders on...
friendlyhumanist.blogspot.com
Friendly Humanist: More on Free Will
http://friendlyhumanist.blogspot.com/2009/12/more-on-free-will.html
Thursday, 24 December 2009. More on Free Will. Since my March article about free will. I've learned that my position - that having free will is consistent with a mechanistic model of the universe (with or without quantum uncertainty thrown in) - is known as compatibilism. I recently read Thomas Pink's book, Free Will: A Very Short Introduction. From the excellent Very Short Introduction series. The position Mike took in his article. Is known as scepticism. And a belief in causal determinism. Note that th...
friendlyhumanist.blogspot.com
Friendly Humanist: Is Saint Andrew's Day controversial?
http://friendlyhumanist.blogspot.com/2009/12/is-saint-andrews-day-controversial.html
Sunday, 20 December 2009. Is Saint Andrew's Day controversial? A few weeks late, I have come across this exchange. On the merits of celebrating Saint Andrew's Day on the 30th of November as a national day for Scotland. Saint Andrew. Opposing him is Azeem Ibrahim, who argues that religion isn't a serious part of Scottish Saint Andrews Day celebrations, and that the inclusive celebration of Scottish awesomeness is what the day is about. As someone who grew up with essentially religion-free Christmases, I j...
friendlyhumanist.blogspot.com
Friendly Humanist: I'm moving
http://friendlyhumanist.blogspot.com/2010/01/im-moving.html
Sunday, 10 January 2010. I am moving this blog to " http:/ www.friendlyhumanist.net. This is partly to improve the blog (WordPress has better features), and partly to appease my own ego (I wanted my own domain name). The new blog has already been populated with all the old posts and comments. I even think I can set things up so this old address will automatically redirect to the new one. On a content level, is there anything you'd like to hear more about? 10 January 2010 at 01:01. I decided not to use WP.
